25 amazing Stranger Things 3 easter eggs and details you might have missed

12 July 2019, 22:19

By Katie Louise Smith

From in-show easter eggs to pop culture references and 80s movie homages, here's everything you might have missed in season 3 of Stranger Things.

It's been just over a week since Stranger Things 3 came into, and then subsequently shattered, our lives. We've shed actual tears over [SPOILER]'s death, [SPOILER]'s death and [SPOILERS]'s potential death. We've formed solid conspiracy theories about who that American prisoner is. And we've punched our stan cards for newcomer Maya Hawke and Robin, who she brought so iconically to life.

READ MORE: Stranger Things season 4: News, spoilers, release date, cast and everything we know

But just one viewing of this season is literally not enough. Amidst all the drama, the neon lights and Erica's scathing one liners is a ton of easter eggs and references that you may have missed on your first viewing. We're not just talking about the obvious (although, those references have been included below). We're talking about all the tiny tiny in-show call backs - including one huge season 1 easter egg that may or may not hint at a resurrection of a certain character.

Here's all the Stranger Things 3 easter eggs that you may have missed on your first viewing:

1) The poster in Eleven's bedroom was given to her by Mike.

Remember that bird poster in Mike's basement in seasons 1 and 2? That is now tacked onto the wall in El's bedroom.

2) Eleven has a polaroid of Mike in his Ghostbusters outfit on her bedside table.

On the table to the right of her bed, you can just about make out the polaroid image of Mike taken by Karen Wheeler in the second episode of season 2.

3) Radio Shack, where Bob worked, is boarded up due to their new Starcourt Mall location.

If Bob had survived season 2, he probably would have got caught up in the middle of Starcourt's big Russian cover up plot and died anyway. RIP Bob.

4) Mrs Wheeler is reading the next instalment of her romance novel series.

Karen, who is living her Hot Girl Summer fantasy, is reading Johanna Lindsey's brand new novel "Tender is the Storm" which was released in 1985. In season 2, she can seen in the bath reading "Heart of Thunder".

5) The episode of Cheers that Joyce is watching has a low-key reference to her and Hopper's date.

In the clip seen on TV as Joyce sits down for her microwave dinner for one, the dialogue says: "I'm talking about Frasier, Sam. He had a couple of sips of Chianti tonight and asked me to marry him." Hopper then orders Chianti at Enzo's while he waits for Joyce to show up in the next episode.

6) Hopper is watching Magnum PI... which clearly inspired his shirt and moustache.

There are no coincidences when it comes to the TV shows and movies that the characters watch in this show.

7) Murray's phone number is REAL and when you call it, there's a season 4 easter egg.

In season 3, episode 6, Murray's phone number (618-625-8313) is revealed on screen. When you call the number, you get put through to Murray's voicemail machine where he proceeds to shout and yell about his own mother... before he then starts speaking to Joyce Byers.

"If this is Joyce, Joyce, thank you for calling, I have been trying to reach you. I have an update. It's about, well, it's probably best if we speak in person. It's not good or bad, but it's something." HOPPER?!

8) The girl whose drink exploded when Eleven used her powers is the same girl who rejected Dustin at the Snow Ball.

Stacey made her grand return in season 3 as one of the popular girls shopping at Starcourt Mall. Wonder if she'll get a bigger part in season 4.

9) Dustin still uses his Farrah Fawcett hairspray.

When Dustin returns from camp, he uses his trusty Farrah Fawcett hairspray (as recommended by Steve in season 2) as a weapon against Lucas who he thought was an intruder.

10) Phoebe Cates, who Dustin says Suzie is hotter than, actually appears in the final episode as a cardboard cut out in the video store.

Phoebe Cates gets a few shout outs over the season but in the final episode, there's a cardboard cut out of her character in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. You see it when Steve knocks it over.

'Moving in Stereo' by The Cars, which plays as Billy walks out in his lifeguard uniform to watch over the pool, is the same song that is played in the iconic Fast Times pool scene starring Cates. And in a red bikini, no less.

11) Dustin's mum has a tiny little tribute to Mews on her car dashboard.

JUSTICE FOR MEWS! GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!

12) Lucas' outfit takes inspiration from the Karate Kid, played by Ralph Macchio.

Funnily enough, Max's celebrity crush is... Ralph Macchio, as she tells Eleven in episode 2. We love an attentive boyfriend!

13) The whole season is inspired by the 1984 film Red Dawn.

The film sees a group of American high school students (interesting!) team up against Soviet soldiers who invade a small town (INTERESTING!).

14) The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Day of the Dead and The Terminator are also big inspirations for the film.

If you wanna know where the inspiration behind Billy, the Mind Flayer and the Flayed came from, look no further. The season also draws from Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Terminator with Grigori, the Russian spy. Die Hard, even though it was released after 1985, also serves as inspo.

15) If you look closely at Scott Clarke's model, you can see Beetlejuice's grave.

Throughout the season, there's a few nods to Winona Ryder's filmography - but all three films that feature were released after 1985 so they're not technically references. (Also, if Winona exists in the Stranger Things universe, will people soon start telling Joyce that she looks like her?)

You can see the sneaky 'Here Lies Betelgeuse' tombstone reference here.

16) There's also another two low-key Winona Ryder-themed references in the movie.

The first one happens when Joyce heads over to Mr Clarke's house. He's blasting 'My Bologna', the Weird Al Yankovic parody of The Knack's 'My Sharona'. 'My Sharona' is a song featured in Reality Bites, starring Winona.

The second involves Alexei's iconic Cherry Slurpee. In Heathers, JD asks Veronica if she wanted a Coke Slurpee or a Cherry one. She says Cherry.

17) Maya Hawke channels two of her mother's iconic on-screen lewks.

While they're not references per se (maybe they're just nice coincidences tbh), two of Robin's outfits appear to be nods to two of her mother Uma Thurman's roles: Johnny Be Good and Kill Bill Vol. 1.

18) There's a handful of Back To The Future references.

Not only do Steve, Robin, Dustin and Erica stumble into a screening of Back To The Future, there's also some visual referneces in the film. When Billy starts driving his car toward Nancy in front of the mall, it's a similar shot to the one in the original movie.

19) There's several Alien references.

Stranger Things is no...stranger to references from the Alien franchise. In season 3, Nancy is pinned down by the Mind Flayer monster and she turns her head as it screams in her face. In the final episode, Eleven uses her powers to make a creature burst out of her leg, like the alien bursting out of people's chests in the film.

20) There's a double reference to E.T. and IT - two films that the series takes inspiration from.

Eleven and Max's raincoats are red and yellow. Red being the colour of the hoodie that Elliott wears in E.T. and yellow, the colour of Georgie's iconic mac in IT.

21) Despite the film being released after 1985, there's a Jurassic Park visual reference.

You already know the one I'm talking about... when they're hiding from the Mind Flayer monster in the mall? It's basically the Raptors in the kitchen scene.

22) And of course, an absolutely iconic Indiana Jones reference thanks to Steve Harrington.

In season 2, there was a reference to the iconic Harrison Ford character when Hopper grabs his hat after being stuck in the Upside Down. In season 3, Steve wedges the door open as everyone slides out beneath it - a nod to Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana almost gets trapped.

23) Eleven is still wearing the blue hair tie that Hopper gave her.

The blue hair tie once belonged to Hopper's daughter Sara, who died before the events of season 1. He wears it throughout season 1 and season 2 before he gives it to Eleven ahead of the Snow Ball. In season 3, she's wearing it the whole time. Before Hopper and Eleven leave each other in the mall to go on their respective missions, Hop can be seen playing with it on her wrist.

24) Bradley's Big Buy is the same store that Eleven steals the Eggos from in season 1.

In episode 7, the gang go to Bradley's Big Buy after facing off against the Mind Flayer monster at Hop's cabin. Instead of stealing the Eggos, El attempts to enter the void to locate Billy.

25) 'Heroes', the song used in the final scene, could be a huge easter egg about Hopper's fate.

In season 1 episode 3, the "body" of Will Byers is pulled out of the lake as a cover of 'Heroes' plays softly in the background. That was, of course, fake as it's revealed that the stuffed body was used as a cover up.

In the final scene of season 3, that same song plays again as Eleven reads the speech that Hopper wrote down in a letter. Seeing as the song is synonymous with that death fake out scene, paired with the fact that the Duffer brothers never use the same song twice without reason, could that be a huge clue that Hopper is still alive?